What Do Different Poop Colors Mean?

Written by Hope Cristol

• What Do Different Stool Colors Mean?
• Normal Poop Color
• Green Poop
• Yellow Poop
• White, Pale, or Clay-Colored Poop
• Black Poop
• Red or Reddish Poop
• Orange Poop
• When to Get Help for Poop Color Changes
• More

Different stool colors can mean different things, mostly depending on what you’ve eaten.

You’d probably notice if your poop is a different hue than normal. But what does it mean if it’s green? What about red, yellow, white, or black? Or orange?

Most of the time, minor changes in the color of your waste are due to diet. After all, we don’t eat the same thing at every meal, every day. But sometimes a color change can signal a minor health issue. In rare cases, it means something serious is wrong in your digestive system.

If the color you see before you flush worries you, call your doctor.

Poop is normally brown. The color is the result of what you eat and how much bile is in your stool.

Bile is a fluid your liver makes to digest fats. It starts out as a yellowish green color. But as the pigments that give bile its color travel through your digestive system, they go through chemical changes and turn brown.

Your poop can sometimes have a slightly greenish hue, or even be a more vivid green. Most of the time, green or greenish poop is normal.

Is your diet causing green poop?

Think back on what you’ve been eating. These foods and supplements can cause your poop to be green:

• Green veggies, like spinach or kale
• Green food coloring, such as in drink mixes or ice pops
• Iron supplements

Other causes of green poop

If you have green diarrhea, the color of your food may not be to blame. It’s likely that your meal moved through your gut too quickly, so the fat-digesting bile didn’t have time to turn brown.

There may be times when your poop looks more yellow than brown.

This shade is also normal for many people. It’s common for babies, especially those who breastfeed. But if you have yellow poop that looks greasy and smells very bad, it may have too much fat. That could be a sign your body isn’t digesting food properly.

Is your diet causing yellow poop?

Indirectly, your diet could cause yellow poop. If you have celiac disease, your body can’t handle a protein called gluten, which is in wheat, barley, and rye. If you have the condition and eat foods that have gluten, like many breads, pastas, and cookies, your intestines won’t work as they should. So, if you’re eating those foods, and your poop is yellow, it may be time to see a doctor.

Other causes of yellow poop

There may be other causes of yellow poop that’s greasy and smelly. If it happens to you often, tell your doctor.

Sometimes, poop may not have much color at all.

Is your diet causing pale poop?

If your poop is pale, it’s not likely directly due to a food. But medicines for diarrhea like bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol) can sometimes cause pale or clay-colored poop. So can barium, a chalky liquid you drink before you get X-rays of the upper part of your digestive tract.

Other causes of pale poop

A more serious cause is a lack of bile in your stool. (Remember, bile gives poop its brown color.) Your body makes bile in the liver, stores it in the gallbladder, and releases it into your small intestine to help digest your food. If there’s not enough of it to give your poop its typical brown color, it could be a sign of a problem along the way.

Liver disease, such as hepatitis, can keep bile from getting into your body waste. So can a blockage in the tubes (called ducts) that carry bile. This can happen because of:

• Gallstones
• A tumor
• A condition you’re born with called biliary atresia

Babies’ poop is black for the first few days after they’re born. Otherwise, it may be because you ate something very dark-colored or took a medicine or supplement that causes black poop. But this color can be a sign of a more serious problem: bleeding in the upper part of your digestive tract.

Is your diet causing black poop?

Foods and supplements that turn poop black include:

• Black licorice
• Blueberries
• Iron supplements

Medicines that have bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol) can also cause very dark stools.

Other causes of black poop

Poop that looks like tar is often a sign of bleeding in the digestive tract. Some causes include:

• Bleeding from stomach ulcers
• Bleeding sores in your esophagus from acid reflux
• Bleeding from noncancerous tumors in the upper GI tract
• Cancer

If you don’t think black poop came from what you ate, you need to talk to your doctor.

If you see red or reddish poop in the toilet, don’t be alarmed right away. First ask yourself if you’ve had red foods lately.

Is your diet causing red or reddish poop?

Several foods can change the color of your stool to a pink or reddish color:

• Beets
• Tomato soup
• Gelatin dessert
• Red drinks

Other causes of red or reddish poop

If you don’t think your diet is the cause, the red you see may be blood. And if it’s bright red, the blood likely comes from the lower part of your digestive tract. Common causes include:

• Noncancerous tumors
• Cancer
• Inflammation in the colon, called colitis
• Growths called polyps in your colon
• Conditions caused by small sacs in the wall of the colon, called diverticular disease
• Hemorrhoids

Call your doctor if you see red that’s probably not from food you ate.

Poop can often come out the color of the food that went in, especially if you have diarrhea. If your poop has an orange hue, it’s most likely due to some orange foods.

Is your diet causing orange poop?

Foods that have beta-carotene can turn your poop orange, such as:

• Carrots
• Winter squash
• Pumpkin
• Sweet potatoes

Foods with orange coloring, such as sodas, candy, or gelatin dessert, can also give your poop an orange color.

Also, antibiotics and antacids that have aluminum hydroxide in them can make your stool orange.

Other causes of orange poop

Rarely, poop can be orange if you have a problem with your liver that causes it to make less bile than normal, or a blockage that keeps bile from leaving the liver and entering your system. But usually, if this is the case, your poop will be pale or clay-colored.

Most of the time, poop that’s a different color from what you’re used to isn’t something to worry about. It’s rare for it to be a sign of a serious condition in your digestive system. But if it’s white, bright red, or black, and you don’t think it’s from something you ate, call your doctor.

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What Do Different Poop Colors Mean?

Written by Hope Cristol

• What Do Different Stool Colors Mean?
• Normal Poop Color
• Green Poop
• Yellow Poop
• White, Pale, or Clay-Colored Poop
• Black Poop
• Red or Reddish Poop
• Orange Poop
• When to Get Help for Poop Color Changes
• More

Different stool colors can mean different things, mostly depending on what you’ve eaten.

You’d probably notice if your poop is a different hue than normal. But what does it mean if it’s green? What about red, yellow, white, or black? Or orange?

Most of the time, minor changes in the color of your waste are due to diet. After all, we don’t eat the same thing at every meal, every day. But sometimes a color change can signal a minor health issue. In rare cases, it means something serious is wrong in your digestive system.

If the color you see before you flush worries you, call your doctor.

Poop is normally brown. The color is the result of what you eat and how much bile is in your stool.

Bile is a fluid your liver makes to digest fats. It starts out as a yellowish green color. But as the pigments that give bile its color travel through your digestive system, they go through chemical changes and turn brown.

Your poop can sometimes have a slightly greenish hue, or even be a more vivid green. Most of the time, green or greenish poop is normal.

Is your diet causing green poop?

Think back on what you’ve been eating. These foods and supplements can cause your poop to be green:

• Green veggies, like spinach or kale
• Green food coloring, such as in drink mixes or ice pops
• Iron supplements

Other causes of green poop

If you have green diarrhea, the color of your food may not be to blame. It’s likely that your meal moved through your gut too quickly, so the fat-digesting bile didn’t have time to turn brown.

There may be times when your poop looks more yellow than brown.

This shade is also normal for many people. It’s common for babies, especially those who breastfeed. But if you have yellow poop that looks greasy and smells very bad, it may have too much fat. That could be a sign your body isn’t digesting food properly.

Is your diet causing yellow poop?

Indirectly, your diet could cause yellow poop. If you have celiac disease, your body can’t handle a protein called gluten, which is in wheat, barley, and rye. If you have the condition and eat foods that have gluten, like many breads, pastas, and cookies, your intestines won’t work as they should. So, if you’re eating those foods, and your poop is yellow, it may be time to see a doctor.

Other causes of yellow poop

There may be other causes of yellow poop that’s greasy and smelly. If it happens to you often, tell your doctor.

Sometimes, poop may not have much color at all.

Is your diet causing pale poop?

If your poop is pale, it’s not likely directly due to a food. But medicines for diarrhea like bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol) can sometimes cause pale or clay-colored poop. So can barium, a chalky liquid you drink before you get X-rays of the upper part of your digestive tract.

Other causes of pale poop

A more serious cause is a lack of bile in your stool. (Remember, bile gives poop its brown color.) Your body makes bile in the liver, stores it in the gallbladder, and releases it into your small intestine to help digest your food. If there’s not enough of it to give your poop its typical brown color, it could be a sign of a problem along the way.

Liver disease, such as hepatitis, can keep bile from getting into your body waste. So can a blockage in the tubes (called ducts) that carry bile. This can happen because of:

• Gallstones
• A tumor
• A condition you’re born with called biliary atresia

Babies’ poop is black for the first few days after they’re born. Otherwise, it may be because you ate something very dark-colored or took a medicine or supplement that causes black poop. But this color can be a sign of a more serious problem: bleeding in the upper part of your digestive tract.

Is your diet causing black poop?

Foods and supplements that turn poop black include:

• Black licorice
• Blueberries
• Iron supplements

Medicines that have bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol) can also cause very dark stools.

Other causes of black poop

Poop that looks like tar is often a sign of bleeding in the digestive tract. Some causes include:

• Bleeding from stomach ulcers
• Bleeding sores in your esophagus from acid reflux
• Bleeding from noncancerous tumors in the upper GI tract
• Cancer

If you don’t think black poop came from what you ate, you need to talk to your doctor.

If you see red or reddish poop in the toilet, don’t be alarmed right away. First ask yourself if you’ve had red foods lately.

Is your diet causing red or reddish poop?

Several foods can change the color of your stool to a pink or reddish color:

• Beets
• Tomato soup
• Gelatin dessert
• Red drinks

Other causes of red or reddish poop

If you don’t think your diet is the cause, the red you see may be blood. And if it’s bright red, the blood likely comes from the lower part of your digestive tract. Common causes include:

• Noncancerous tumors
• Cancer
• Inflammation in the colon, called colitis
• Growths called polyps in your colon
• Conditions caused by small sacs in the wall of the colon, called diverticular disease
• Hemorrhoids

Call your doctor if you see red that’s probably not from food you ate.

Poop can often come out the color of the food that went in, especially if you have diarrhea. If your poop has an orange hue, it’s most likely due to some orange foods.

Is your diet causing orange poop?

Foods that have beta-carotene can turn your poop orange, such as:

• Carrots
• Winter squash
• Pumpkin
• Sweet potatoes

Foods with orange coloring, such as sodas, candy, or gelatin dessert, can also give your poop an orange color.

Also, antibiotics and antacids that have aluminum hydroxide in them can make your stool orange.

Other causes of orange poop

Rarely, poop can be orange if you have a problem with your liver that causes it to make less bile than normal, or a blockage that keeps bile from leaving the liver and entering your system. But usually, if this is the case, your poop will be pale or clay-colored.

Most of the time, poop that’s a different color from what you’re used to isn’t something to worry about. It’s rare for it to be a sign of a serious condition in your digestive system. But if it’s white, bright red, or black, and you don’t think it’s from something you ate, call your doctor.

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Green feces in an adult and a child

Feces: what is it

Feces (stool, feces) is the end product of digestion, which is formed in the gastrointestinal tract and excreted from the body during defecation. In fact, this is a waste material from which all substances useful for the body are squeezed out.

Fecal components:

• water: makes up up to 75% of faeces. Its main task is to dissolve toxic substances and soften the feces so that it moves freely through the intestines;
• solids: undigested plant and muscle fibers, fats, toxins, and beneficial bacteria that help break down food.

Basic properties of feces: quantity, texture, shape, color and smell. Changes in these parameters can be signs of various diseases.

The normal consistency of the feces is dense, the shape is cylindrical, the thickness is 2-4 cm. It is this feces that is called formed. The normal color of feces is brown, which can vary from light to dark shades depending on eating habits.

The color of feces can change for many reasons – from the use of coloring foods to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver pathologies, intestinal infections, bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.

Physiological causes of green stool

Normally, green stools may appear after eating certain foods and taking certain medications.

Products that color stool green

Foods that contain chlorophyll, a green pigment needed by plants for photosynthesis, can color feces green.

Foods rich in chlorophyll:

• parsley,
• celery,
• leeks,
• dill,
• broccoli,
• spinach,
• collard greens,
• green asparagus beans,
• arugula,
• watercress,
• zucchini,
• cucumbers.

Green vegetables contain chlorophyll, which can color stools

If such foods appear in the diet, then the feces may acquire a green color. At the same time, the frequency of defecation does not change, the stool is formed and does not have a putrid odor. As a rule, after a couple of days, the color of the feces returns to normal.

Also, green stool occurs after eating sweets, marmalade, jelly and other products dyed with chemical dyes.

Medicines

Drugs that contain iron can change the color of feces to green and are often prescribed to treat iron deficiency anemia.

Iron is excreted in the stool and may give feces a green color. The symptom persists during treatment, then gradually disappears.

Pathological causes of green stool

Green feces may indicate pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, diseases of the liver and gallbladder, intestinal infections, food poisoning.

Pathologies of the liver and gallbladder

If the color of the feces turned green, and dull pains and heaviness appeared in the right hypochondrium, the work of the liver and gallbladder may have been disturbed.

Diseases of the liver and gallbladder, in which feces can turn green:

• viral hepatitis — an infectious and inflammatory disease of the liver caused by hepatitis viruses;
• biliary dyskinesia – disruption of the walls of the gallbladder and bile ducts;
• gallbladder dysfunction – a violation of emptying and filling, in which the outflow of bile from the organ is difficult;
• postcholecystectomy syndrome is a complex of symptoms that can develop after removal of the gallbladder.

As a rule, during exacerbation of diseases of the liver and gallbladder, the stool turns from green to grayish-white.

Intestinal infections

One of the causes of green stool in children and adults is intestinal infections caused by pathogens. For example, salmonellosis is an infectious disease of the digestive system, which is provoked by bacteria of the genus Salmonella.

Salmonella is a microscopic bacillus covered with long flagella that help it move

You can become infected with salmonellosis if you eat raw or undercooked eggs, meat and dairy products, as well as if you come into contact with infected pets and poultry.

Main symptoms of salmonellosis:

• high temperature;
• headache;
• weakness, aching muscles;
• abdominal pain;
• nausea, frequent vomiting;
• green feces;
• offensive stools, often watery or frothy;
• pale skin;
• plaque on the tongue.

2-3 days after the onset of the first symptoms of salmonellosis, streaks of blood and mucus may be found in the stool. The patient is worried about pain in the abdomen, painful urge to defecate.

Celiac disease

Celiac disease, or celiac disease, is a chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the small intestine, which occurs due to intolerance to gluten (a protein found in cereals: rye, barley, wheat).

Celiac disease – gluten intolerance, has a genetic background

Main symptoms of celiac disease:

• diarrhea;
• fetid greenish stools;
• steatorrhea – excess fat in the feces;
• weight loss;
• polyhypovitaminosis is a lack of groups of vitamins in the body.

As a rule, the first symptoms of celiac disease in women appear at the age of 30-40, in men a little later – at 40-50 years.

Green feces in children

Children in the first 2-3 days after birth excrete dark green feces – meconium. This is the norm. Then the feces lighten and acquire a light brown or yellowish tint.

Children aged 1.5–2 years may also have green stools. This is possible if the child is breastfed and the mother’s diet contains a large amount of foods rich in chlorophyll (parsley, celery, leeks, dill, cucumbers, etc.).

In addition, stools may turn green when changing from one formula to another, when there is an excess of sugar or iron in the formula, when solid foods are introduced into the baby’s diet. In this case, you can adjust the diet and choose the right mixture.

If, after replacing the mixture, the feces still remain green, you need to contact a pediatrician – the reason may be a violation of the baby’s intestinal microflora.

Green feces in children older than 2 years is normal when eating foods containing chlorophyll or chemical dyes.

Pathological causes of green stool in children:

• infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract,
• congenital pathologies of the digestive tract.

As a rule, when it comes to pathology, in addition to green stool, the child has other symptoms.

Concomitant symptoms of gastrointestinal pathologies in children:

• temperature increase;
• chills;
• cold sweat;
• nausea and vomiting;
• poor appetite;
• abdominal pain;
• impurities of blood, mucus, pus in the feces;
• bloating;
• rash on body;
• weakness, tearfulness.

To find out the reasons for the ailment, you need to visit a pediatrician. He will carefully listen to the complaints of the child or parents (if the baby cannot yet tell about his state of health), conduct an examination and refer the patient for additional examinations: a complete blood count, a complete urinalysis, a stool test, a swab from the anus.

Complete blood count without leukocyte formula (capillary blood)

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Urinalysis

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Biochemical analysis of feces

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Diagnosis of diseases causing green stools

A single appearance of green stool after eating foods containing chlorophyll or chemical dyes is a normal variant.

If green stool is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, signs of intoxication), then we can talk about a serious illness. In this case, you should immediately contact a doctor – a general practitioner or gastroenterologist.

At the appointment, the specialist will interview the patient, clarify whether he is taking any medications, conduct an examination and, if necessary, refer him for additional examinations and tests.

To assess the general condition of a person and identify possible violations of the gastrointestinal tract, basic studies will help – analysis of blood, urine and feces.

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If the doctor suspects that the microflora has been disturbed due to pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) or gastritis (inflammation of the gastric mucosa), he can refer the patient to targeted studies that will help identify and eliminate the root cause of the violation of the intestinal microflora.

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Intestinal infections can be diagnosed using tests for individual pathogens.

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If celiac disease is suspected, the doctor will refer the patient to tests that will help identify a hereditary disease and adjust the diet so as to avoid unpleasant manifestations of the disease.

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Treatment of diseases causing green stool

Treatment will depend on the cause of the pathology. Thus, in case of infections, therapy will be aimed at destroying pathogenic bacteria or viruses, in case of gastritis, it will be aimed at restoring the gastric mucosa.

An important component of the treatment of diseases that can cause green stool is a special diet. In the acute period, the patient is transferred to a sparing diet – pureed cereals on water, mucous soups. After recovery, the patient can gradually return to their usual diet.

A gluten-free diet is indicated for celiac disease.

Medicines used to treat diseases that cause green stool:

• sorbents help to remove toxins and bacterial agents from the body;
• antibiotics – may be indicated for severe bacterial infections.

Sources

1. Ivashkin V. T. Gastroenterology. National leadership. 2018.
2. Infectious diseases. National leadership / ed. N. D. Yushchuk, Yu. V. Vengerova. 2018.
3. Khavkin A.I. Intestinal microecology disorders. Correction principles. 2004.

Child’s stool color – what does light, green or black stool indicate?

The characteristics of the baby chair are influenced by such indicators as age, type of feeding, and developmental features of the baby. At the same time, a change in the shade, consistency of the stool, the appearance of an unpleasant odor may indicate the presence of a particular pathology. Let’s talk about which stool changes are a variant of the norm, and which are a cause for concern.

Peculiarities of the child’s nutrition

Having noticed an unusual color of feces in a child, parents should also pay attention to the color of the urine and the general well-being of the baby. If the urine has not become more saturated, and the child is active and cheerful, then the changes are most likely associated with the food eaten the day before.

If we are talking about a baby who feeds on mother’s milk, then it is the mother herself who should analyze the diet. In formula-fed babies, stool changes may be due to the fact that the parents decided to introduce a new formula.

In older children who eat at the same table with adult family members, unusual stools are also most often associated with eating certain foods. Calcium-rich food contributes to the staining of feces in a light color, increasing its viscosity. For example, many kids love cottage cheese with sour cream. Eaten the day before, such a snack helps to lighten and increase the viscosity of feces – it becomes like clay.

The cause of green stool in a child may be eating a large amount of green vegetables, as well as lettuce leaves. Brick-red staining is often due to the fact that the child went too far with red berries or tomatoes. Blackcurrants and blueberries can cause very dark stools.

Other causes

Pediatricians say that the appearance of light-colored feces in a child may be due to the eruption of milk teeth. The exact causes of this process remain not fully understood, but the fact remains. Young mothers should remember about this feature of the child’s body. However, if you are in doubt about a change in stool color, it is best to consult your pediatrician. Remember that the period of teething is often accompanied by an increase in susceptibility to various infections, including enteroviruses.

Also, if the color of the child’s feces changes, parents should remember whether they gave him any medications the day before. Some drugs stain the stool: for example, the use of iron-containing products is associated with the appearance of greenish-black stool.

Finally, healthy children’s feces may darken and lighten periodically. If the baby’s well-being does not suffer at the same time and the color of the feces returns to normal within a couple of days, then you should not sound the alarm.

The child’s stool color has changed – maybe something is wrong?

Features of feces often indicate certain pathological processes. And sometimes a change in color, smell and other characteristics are the only symptoms that prompt a pediatrician to think about the correct diagnosis.

Dysbacteriosis

Dysbacteriosis is a disorder of the intestinal microflora. The shift in the species ratio of bacteria towards symbionts, which are normally present in small quantities, cannot but affect the properties of feces. In children suffering from dysbacteriosis, the stool becomes watery, with an admixture of a mucous character, lighter than normal. In severe cases, the feces can become frothy, acquire a sharp unpleasant odor.

These symptoms are often accompanied by pain in the abdomen, increased gas formation – the general condition of the child suffers. To solve the problem as soon as possible, you need to see a doctor.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis in children and adults may present with a characteristic greyish discolored stool. In order to exclude the presence of hepatitis in a child, when light stool appears, parents should pay attention to the color of the urine. Discolored stools, caused by a malfunction of the liver cells, are always accompanied by the release of saturated urine (the so-called “beer-colored” urine).

If warning symptoms appear, you should not panic – only a specialist can make a diagnosis of hepatitis. But there is no need to delay visiting the pediatrician. The doctor will prescribe a diagnostic plan and give the necessary recommendations.

Pancreatitis

Many people think that only adults suffer from pancreatitis. But, unfortunately, inflammation of the pancreas can occur at any age. Cal at the same time acquires a grayish tint, an unpleasant odor. In chronic pancreatitis, the total amount of excreted feces is increased, and it itself acquires a kind of oiliness, it is poorly washed off.

In a classic attack of pancreatitis, abdominal pains of girdle nature (or localized in the navel) are also observed. There are also symptoms of dyspepsia:

• loss of appetite;
• nausea and vomiting;
• increased gas formation.

Children may also experience mild fever, pale skin, and dry mouth. An attack of pancreatitis can be triggered by excessive consumption of chocolate, cocoa, carbonated drinks, fresh vegetables.

Bent gallbladder

Bent gallbladder is a fairly common congenital anomaly. The bend of the gallbladder may be asymptomatic. Manifestations of pathology can appear after heavy consumption of food, especially fatty. Children are worried about vomiting with an admixture of bile, pain in the right side.

The bending of the gallbladder is characterized by alternating periods of constipation and diarrhea. With a pronounced inflection, the feces may become lighter than normal.

Rotavirus infection

This viral infectious disease is accompanied by intoxication (its signs are weakness, fever, general malaise) and symptoms of gastrointestinal lesions. The latter include pain, nausea, repeated vomiting, rumbling in the abdomen. At the same time, the child’s stool is plentiful, it becomes watery, frothy, has a greenish-yellow color and a pungent odor. As a rule, pathological impurities are absent or there is a small amount of mucous inclusions.

Vomiting and diarrhea in children can cause severe dehydration very quickly. This condition is extremely dangerous for children, therefore, if the above symptoms appear, seek medical help immediately.

Whipple’s disease

This rare infectious disease is accompanied by damage to the lymphatic system of the small intestine and articular syndrome. Whipple’s disease occurs with marked fever, abdominal pain, flatulence, nausea, and vomiting. The stool is liquid, defecation occurs up to 10 times a day, the stool has a grayish tint and a pungent odor.

Is it necessary to go to the doctor if there is a change in the color of feces in children?

Since a change in the characteristics of the feces in a child can often be a variant of the norm, parents should act depending on the circumstances of the particular case. Attentive mothers and fathers can easily notice the connection between a change in stool and a previously eaten product or medication the day before. Even if the nature of the feces has changed for no apparent reason, but the child feels normal, it is worth observing him for 1-2 days. Perhaps the stool will normalize on its own.

In all other cases, when a change in the color and other properties of feces is accompanied by abdominal pain, fever, nausea, pallor of the skin and any other pathological signs, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician as soon as possible. Acute diseases in children can progress at a very high rate, so refusing to consult a specialist can be deadly.

Foamy stool in an infant

Foamy stool in an infant is a sign of a deficiency in the normal intestinal microflora. Without the right amount of beneficial bacteria, the physiological process of digestion becomes impossible, and the consistency of the stool changes.

Microflora imbalance may be temporary, transient. In this case, the condition is normalized without special treatment. In more serious cases, the doctor may prescribe drugs from the group of pro- and prebiotics. Finally, dysbacteriosis in combination with foamy stools is often one of the symptoms of an intestinal infection, especially if the child complains of abdominal pain, fever, and deterioration in the general well-being of the baby.

Diarrhea in infants

Newborns have loose stools due to infectious and non-infectious causes.

Diarrhea of ​​an infectious nature has the following features:

• pronounced unpleasant odor;
• foaminess;
• increase up to 8-10 times a day;
• combination with nausea and vomiting, fever.

Causes of noninfectious diarrhea in an infant include:

• lactose intolerance;
• violations of the diet by a nursing mother;
• reaction to unusual complementary foods.

Constipation in infants

Normally, a baby’s feces are soft, but constipation can occur as early as the first month. If a child of the first year of life (and especially the first four weeks) has difficulty passing feces, parents should consult a pediatrician. Constipation in an infant may be a sign of one of the pathologies:

1. Hirschsprung’s disease. In this disease, there is a violation of the innervation of the rectum. The main symptoms of the disease are increased gas formation and recurrent constipation, the appearance of which is not associated with a change in the nature of nutrition.
2. Anal fissure, irritation of the perianal zone. In this case, each act of defecation gives the child severe discomfort, therefore, at the psychological level, the baby can be restrained – constipation forms.

In addition, too frequent use of microenemas and the gas tube can lead to constipation. Sometimes parents, sincerely caring about the child, trying to relieve him of constipation, use special assistive devices almost every day. However, such actions can irritate the delicate skin of children in the anus, which indirectly can further aggravate the problem of constipation.

Occult blood in the stool

The presence of a significant amount of blood in the stool is not so difficult to recognize. Bleeding from the lower gastrointestinal tract (with anal fissure, ulcerative colitis) is manifested by bright red streaks. If the source of bleeding is higher (esophagus, stomach), the stool turns black.

Occasionally, stool may be normal in color and consistency, but may contain microstreaks of blood. This condition must be identified and treated, as the child regularly loses blood (even in microscopic amounts), which can provoke the development of iron deficiency anemia.

A pediatrician orders a fecal occult blood test, mainly because of a suspected gastrointestinal food allergy. The intestinal mucosa in young children is very delicate, so it is easily damaged by allergens. Especially frequent appearance of blood microveins in the feces is associated with the action of such generally recognized allergens as soy, chicken egg, wheat, seafood, cow’s milk protein, peanuts.

Stools with mucus and strong odor

Mucus is a lingering secretion produced by the mucous membrane of the intestinal wall. With the help of mucus, the intestines are protected from the aggressive effects of the external environment, the pH of which differs from the norm in the acid or alkaline direction.

Few people know that reduced mucus content in feces can also lead to problems – cause constipation. However, parents are more concerned about the high content of mucus in the feces of the child.

The appearance of a mucous admixture may be one of the signs:

1. Acute respiratory infection. Young children, who are not yet able to blow their nose and cough, swallow nasal mucus and phlegm. This mucus is excreted along with the stool.
2. Teething of milk teeth. At the same time, saliva is actively secreted, which can also contribute to the appearance of mucous secretions.

Mucus in a child’s stool should not cause great concern to parents, since most often this sign does not indicate serious health problems.

Pieces of undigested food in the stool

Pieces of food in the stool of a child also often cause anxiety in parents. The logic of mothers and fathers is simple: if the baby could not digest the food to the end, then perhaps he has problems with the work of the stomach and he does not receive enough nutrients. However, such judgments are not entirely correct.

The causes of undigested food particles can be:

1. Physiological (age-related) deficiency of enzymes. Some periods of a child’s development are accompanied by a temporary deficiency of enzymes. But this does not mean that the child does not receive enough proteins, fats and carbohydrates. As you get older, your enzyme levels will normalize and your stools will become smooth.
2. Eating foods that, in principle, cannot be completely broken down in the human body. So, individual elements of fiber, which are rich in many vegetables and corn, are always excreted unchanged with feces. Small seeds of berries and some fruits (such as bananas) are also not digested in the gastrointestinal tract of children.

Bad smell

A child’s feces may acquire an uncharacteristic smell in the following cases:

• intestinal infection – the stool has a sharp, fetid odor;
• enzyme deficiency – putrid odor in combination with a change in the consistency of feces;
• constipation: stool that passes after a stool may have a different smell and texture.

What can I do to get my baby’s stool normal?

Let’s summarize. Treatment of stool disorders in babies depends on the causes of their occurrence.

If the mother clearly sees the connection of the changes that have occurred with too early complementary foods or the use of certain foods, it is only necessary to normalize the diet. With a high degree of probability, after 1-2 days, the child’s stool will return to normal.

Do not require treatment and changes in feces caused by teething, taking the necessary medications. The exception to the rule is antibiotics: they cause dysbacteriosis. Prevention of this condition with the help of pre- and probiotics should begin from the first day of taking antibacterial drugs.

In all other cases, it is best to consult a doctor. Especially “dangerous” options for staining feces in a child are grayish-white, black and with bright red streaks of fresh blood. Also, babies with any changes in the stool in combination with signs of an infectious disease need an urgent visit to the doctor: fever, weakness, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.